San Gabriel Valley Council Of Governments

Last time we checked, Sherman Oaks was in that Other Valley. But we checked again when we noticed that the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments lists its mailing address as Sherman Oaks. That would be the council assigned to promote the economic health of the San Gabriel Valley for 28 cities. It turns out the council has hired Sherman Oaks-based management consultant Ken Spiker & Associates to do its staff work.

The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments will vote today to consider linking its support for the Alameda Corridor project to a demand that federal officials move forward with the long-delayed Long Beach Freeway extension. The vote comes at the urging of Alhambra and other supporters of the Interstate 710 freeway project, which would extend that highway through Pasadena, South Pasadena and El Sereno.

The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments will vote today to consider linking its support for the Alameda Corridor project to a demand that federal officials move forward with the long-delayed Long Beach Freeway extension. The vote comes at the urging of Alhambra and other supporters of the Interstate 710 freeway project, which would extend that highway through Pasadena, South Pasadena and El Sereno.

Last time we checked, Sherman Oaks was in that Other Valley. But we checked again when we noticed that the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments lists its mailing address as Sherman Oaks. That would be the council assigned to promote the economic health of the San Gabriel Valley for 28 cities. It turns out the council has hired Sherman Oaks-based management consultant Ken Spiker & Associates to do its staff work.

Supervisors set aside $150,000 Tuesday for a report that would propose solutions for the homeless population in the San Gabriel Valley. An additional $1.2 million was approved to fund whatever initiative is proposed. County officials met with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments in November to discuss a regional approach to helping about 11,000 homeless people who live in the valley at any given time. Funds will come out of the $100-million Homeless Prevention Initiative, established in June 2006.

A coalition of cities is studying the feasibility of transferring bus routes in the west San Gabriel Valley to Foothill Transit and the city of Montebello in the hope of lowering fares, officials said. The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments has commissioned the study to determine the feasibility of transferring service for cities including Pasadena, South Pasadena, Rosemead and Monterey Park to Foothill Transit, which charges its riders 90 cents.

West Covina has become the first city in the San Gabriel Valley to ban Saturday night specials, and several other municipalities are waiting to follow suit after a coalition of local governments pledged to outlaw the small, cheaply made handguns. In October, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, which represents 30 cities, voted to enact bans on Saturday night specials similar to those in Los Angeles and West Hollywood. All 15 representatives at the meeting voted for the proposal.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has dismissed the entire criminal case against former San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments executive director Nicholas Conway, saying he did nothing wrong. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office, which last year filed four conflict-of-interest felonies counts against Conway, said recently that it was still reviewing its options whether to appeal the decision made by a judge earlier this month. Judge Norm Shapiro ruled there was "no crime here, period" and essentially agreed that Conway acted openly and publicly in his handling of the contracts.

The executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments surrendered to a judge Friday after prosecutors charged him with four felonies for obtaining grants that allegedly benefited a private firm he owns. Nicholas Conway, 60, was placed on leave last week after search warrants were served by the district attorney's office. After surrendering, he was released on $100,000 bail by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shelly Torrealba. In the complaint charging Conway with the four conflict-of-interest felonies, Deputy Dist.

Local officials are considering changing the way the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments operates after the arrest of its executive director on conflict-of-interest charges. Nick Conway, 60, surrendered to authorities on June 29 after prosecutors charged him with allegedly funneling funds from the council to his private consulting firm. Prosecutors say Conway's company, Arroyo Associates Inc., improperly received $143,000 to manage state and county transportation grants for the council.

After unanimously agreeing to ban Saturday night specials last month, the Sierra Madre City Council backtracked Tuesday night, voting down an ordinance to bar the local sale of the small, cheaply made handguns. Sierra Madre has no gun stores, but agreed to consider the law after the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments urged the 30 cities in the valley to pass bans modeled on ordinances adopted by the cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood.